The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is full of enemies for Link to strike down. Naturally, a lot of returning favorites from Breath of the Wild return, like Moblins and Lynels. But there are a lot of new monsters too, from Zonai robots to fearsome Gleeoks (which return from Link’s very first adventure).
There’s one new creature that steals the show, though. And by “steals the show,” I mean haunts my nightmares. Meet Tears of the Kingdom’s absolutely horrifying Like Likes.
For longtime Zelda fans, Like Likes are one of the series’ most iconic enemies. Usually portrayed as featureless tubes, these creepy monsters can devour Link and eat his equipment. That makes them one of Hyrule’s most feared creatures, as dying after getting eaten by one can sometimes result in Link losing objects for good. I still remember having to buy a second fire Tunic in Ocarina of Time after one ate me and spit me off a cliff.
I’ve always been a little scared of Like Likes as a result, but Tears of the Kingdom takes that terror to new heights. In Link’s new adventure, they’re more grotesque than ever. The massive tubes cling onto walls and menacingly stare at Link through a circular row of teeth. When they open their mouth, it reveals a gross eyeball at the center — their weak point, naturally.
Of course, they can still swallow Link whole and steal his gear, but Tears of the Kingdom goes one step further to establish them as Hyrule’s most hideous monsters. This time, there are several varieties of Like Likes that have different elemental powers. Electric ones shoot shocking charges at Link, while stone Like Likes launch boulders at him.
They are the bane of my existence.
While I’m absolutely terrified of Zelda’s redesigned Like Likes and am cursing Nintendo for creating them, I secretly love them too. They’re a small, but excellent example of one of the ways Tears of the Kingdom pays tribute to the series’ rich history of monsters while still pushing it forward. The new design feels like a fully realized version of a creature that old Nintendo tech couldn’t capture at the time, turning a vague tube into a fleshy parasite. It’s just one of the many new aspects of the sequel that I imagine fans will obsess over for years to come.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.
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